Romford Crime Crackdown: Five Arrests in Havering, 2026

Key Points

• A multi-agency “Day of Action” was held in Romford town centre on Thursday 2 July 2026 as part of Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week.
• Havering Council enforcement officers, Havering Police, PCSOs, Romford BID, and security teams from Liberty Shopping Centre, Mercury Mall and The Brewery took part.
• The operation began with a joint briefing at the Salvation Army centre on Romford High Street before teams deployed across the town.
• Five people were arrested for offences including assault, theft, breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order, possession of Class A drugs and failing to appear at court.
• Six stop and searches were carried out and five crime reports were logged, including shoplifting, possession of Class A drugs and assaulting a police officer.
• One missing person was located safe and well during the day’s activity.
• Officers also spoke with businesses and members of the public about nuisance behaviour, including groups intimidating shoppers and water pistols being aimed at passers-by.
• Community safety and police officers visited Hornchurch High Street to offer crime prevention advice and encourage reporting of antisocial behaviour.
• Councillor Terry Brown, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Planning, said the council remains committed to working with police to make town centres safer.
• Romford BID Director Julie Frost praised the coordinated approach for reassuring businesses and visitors while proactively tackling crime.
• Inspector Peter Kirk from Havering Police said the day was about more than enforcement, highlighting agency cooperation and direct engagement with residents and businesses.
• The operation formed part of Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week, which ran from 29 June to 5 July 2026, with partners continuing joint work to keep Havering’s town centres safe.

Romford (East London Times) June 6, 2026— Havering Council and Havering Police, together with local partners, carried out a high-visibility multi-agency operation across Romford town centre on Thursday 2 July 2026, resulting in five arrests and multiple crime reports as part of Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week.

What happened during the Romford multi-agency crackdown on crime and antisocial behaviour?

RomfordA major multi-agency operation saw police, Havering Council and local partners join forces to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour across Romford town centre as part of Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week.

The Day of Action took place on Thursday 2 July and brought together Havering Council enforcement officers, Havering Police, PCSOs, Romford BID, and security teams from Liberty Shopping Centre, Mercury Mall and The Brewery to provide a highly visible presence throughout the town.

The operation began with a joint briefing at the Salvation Army centre in Romford High Street before teams deployed across the town centre to target antisocial behaviour, street begging, rough sleeping and fly tipping.

The day produced significant results, including:

• Five arrests for offences including assault, theft, breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order, possession of Class A drugs and failing to appear at court.
• Six stop and searches.
• Five crime reports, including shoplifting, possession of Class A drugs and assaulting a police officer.
• One missing person located safe and well.

Officers also spoke with local businesses and members of the public following concerns about nuisance behaviour, including groups intimidating shoppers and reports of water pistols being aimed at members of the public.

Which agencies took part and where were patrols focused?

As reported in the original notice issued by the agencies involved, joint patrols covered Romford town centre, Liberty Shopping Centre, Mercury Mall, The Brewery and the area surrounding Romford Station.

In addition to the Romford-focused activity, community safety officers and police officers also visited Hornchurch High Street, offering crime prevention advice to businesses and residents while encouraging people to report antisocial behaviour.

What did Havering Council and police say about the operation?

Councillor Terry Brown, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Planning, said the Council remains committed to working alongside the police to tackle crime and make the borough’s town centres safer.

As reported by council communications, Councillor Brown stated:

“We want to help make our borough safe for our residents and our visitors. We won’t tolerate antisocial behaviour and will continue to support the police in cracking down on those who commit crime in our borough. These partnership days also allow us to work closely with businesses, residents and visitors to help prevent crime and make Havering a safer place for everyone.”

Romford BID Director Julie Frost praised the partnership, saying the coordinated approach provides reassurance to businesses and visitors while proactively tackling crime and antisocial behaviour.

Inspector Peter Kirk from Havering Police added that the day was about more than enforcement, highlighting the importance of agencies working together and engaging directly with businesses and residents to address local concerns.

How does this operation fit into Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week?

The operation formed part of Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week, which runs from 29 June to 5 July, with partners continuing to work together to keep Havering’s town centres safe, welcoming and enjoyable for everyone.

The week-long campaign is designed to raise awareness of antisocial behaviour, encourage reporting, and showcase joint working between councils, police forces, business improvement districts and other local partners.

What specific offences and incidents were recorded on the day?

According to the published summary of the operation, five arrests were made for a range of offences: assault, theft, breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order, possession of Class A drugs and failing to appear at court.

Six stop and searches were conducted, and five crime reports were logged, covering shoplifting, possession of Class A drugs and assaulting a police officer.

Officers also engaged with members of the public and traders after receiving reports of nuisance behaviour, including groups intimidating shoppers and incidents in which water pistols were aimed at people in the town centre.

In addition to enforcement activity, one missing person was located safe and well as a result of the day’s operations, according to the agencies’ joint statement.

How did local business leaders and police describe the impact?

As reported by Romford BID, Director Julie Frost said the coordinated approach provides reassurance to businesses and visitors while proactively tackling crime and antisocial behaviour.

Inspector Peter Kirk from Havering Police emphasised that the day was not solely about enforcement but about agencies working together and engaging directly with businesses and residents to address local concerns.

Councillor Terry Brown reiterated the council’s position that it will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and will continue to support police efforts to crack down on those who commit crime in the borough.

Background: How did this development come about?

The Romford operation builds on a longer-running partnership between Havering Council, Havering Police and local stakeholders aimed at improving public safety in town centres.

Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week, running from 29 June to 5 July 2026, provided a focal point for intensified joint activity, enabling council enforcement officers, police, PCSOs, business improvement district staff and private security teams to coordinate patrols and messaging.

Previous council and police statements have highlighted concerns about street begging, rough sleeping, fly tipping and other forms of antisocial behaviour that can affect the perception and reality of safety in busy commercial areas.

The use of a joint briefing at the Salvation Army centre on Romford High Street before deployment reflects a structured approach, allowing different agencies to share intelligence, agree priorities and deploy resources to hotspots across the town centre and nearby retail sites.

Parallel activity in Hornchurch, with officers visiting High Street to offer crime prevention advice and encourage reporting, indicates that the strategy extends beyond one-off enforcement days and is intended to embed ongoing cooperation between agencies, businesses and residents.

Prediction: How could this development affect residents, businesses and visitors in Havering?

If similar multi-agency days are repeated regularly, residents and visitors in Havering may experience a more visible security presence in town centres, which could deter some forms of low-level crime and antisocial behaviour over time.

For local businesses in Romford, Hornchurch and surrounding areas, a sustained partnership model could mean fewer incidents of shoplifting, intimidation and nuisance behaviour, potentially improving footfall and customer confidence in the longer term.

However, the impact will depend on whether the operation is followed up with consistent enforcement, support services for vulnerable people (such as those sleeping rough or struggling with addiction), and clear channels for the public and traders to report problems.

If the approach remains focused primarily on short-term crackdowns without complementary preventative work, there is a risk that some issues simply shift to other times or locations rather than being resolved.

Conversely, if the model documented in this Romford operation is scaled and refined, it could become a template for other town centres in Havering and beyond, shaping how councils and police forces collaborate during awareness weeks and routine patrols.